One Step at a Time
by BlackRoseDragonCK
Summary: One-shot, set before Revengeance. It was the first Valentine's Day Raiden had every spent with his newly reunited family. As he sat at the dinner table, basking in the love they gave him...he realized that things could only get better. Light RaidenXRose and Raiden/John family moments.


**I DO NOT OWN METAL GEAR**

**Hello and Happy Valentine's Day :D! This fic is meant to be a humorous/family Valentine's story taking place before Revengeance. Raiden does work for Maverick Security at this point. There is some light RaidenxRose so PLEASE no Rose-bashing. Also, the cover for this story is one I attempted to draw of Rose cooking XD. Anyways, please enjoy :D!**

**X**

Raiden had never wished so badly for a cardboard box. Even though wearing one probably would have made him seem even more conspicuous, he at least would have felt better hidden.

The cyborg braced his hand on the white plaster wall and peered into the room beyond. He was currently equipped with his more human-looking cyborg body. He wore jeans and a black jacket over a grey shirt…civilian clothing. The dark colors made his pallid skin seem even paler and brought out the silvery streaks in his ice blonde hair. His insipid blue eyes stared straight ahead, locked on his target.

She stood only a few yards away, dressed in colors of black and navy blue. Her back was turned to him. She seemed completey absorbed in her work. Raiden gulped. That was a highly dangerous thing.

Raiden slowly stood up to his full height, praying that no mechanical parts of his body would decide to clink or grate noisily. He slipped into the room, placing each foot down on the tiled floor deliberately. He couldn't let her see him. This was a top priority stealth mission.

Sterilely white walls surrounded him, accompanied by countertops shaded a myriad of browns, blacks, and greys. Every square inch of space was occupied by some sort of tool. Several of them rather reminded Jack of some medieval torture apparatus. He could swear that the device within him used for processing food writhed uncomfortably.

The woman still hadn't noticed the intruder's presence. The back of her deep brown hair faced him. Her eyes remained focused on her work. Soundlessly, Raiden crept up behind her. It was vital that he learned what exactly it was that she was creating. That was the goal of his mission.

Holding his breath, Jack peered over her shoulder…and strove to see what it was that his wife, Rose, was cooking for dinner.

She was preoccupied with stirring a sizeable metal pot atop the hot stove eye. Her chestnut eyes were focused as Raiden's had been during his bomb disposal mission on the Big Shell. Somehow…this seemed even more dangerous. It was no secret that Rose couldn't cook. Even Colonel Campbell, while posing as her husband, had admitted to having to master the art of suppressing one's gag reflex.

Peering into the silvery concave of the pot, Raiden glimpsed some sort of stew/chowder/soup-looking substance. It was a crimson color, probably a variety of tomato soup. He had to admit that it would be an agreeable meal for this particular day. The weather was still cold…chilly enough to make the only organic parts left on his body uncomfortable. Of course…the food would only be agreeable if Rose managed not to burn the soup.

Finally, the brunette realized that she was not alone. She turned, eyes wide. Raiden barely managed to withdraw in time before she realized that she had been under surveillance.

"Jack," Rose's pretty face formed into a smile. "What are you doing here? I thought you and John were out."

Trying and failing to look innocent, the pale warrior offered a sheepish smile. "We were…we're back."

"Oh…" Rose stopped stirring the pot. She arched her eyebrows, clearly sensing that something was afoot. "So…what are you doing now?"

"Oh…uh, y'know…" he ran a hand through his blonde locks, mentally cursing the stutter in his voice. He had lied and sneaked his way through droves of Olga Gurlukovich's troops with nothing but an enemy uniform and a fake Russian accent…yet, when faced with the gentle eyes of his wife, he felt as though that mission had been easy. "…I was just coming to see what you were up to. I mean…it is Valentine's Day after all."

Raiden winced inwardly, praying that he was right. He had done his best to memorize the date this year…but days such as these were slippery little devils. He already had a hard enough time recalling birthdays and anniversaries. He wished that the government had created some sort of VR training that could teach individuals of the male gender some tricks to committing these things to memory…

To his utter relief, Rose grinned. "I know. That's why I'm cooking us a delicious Valentine's dinner." She gestured to the innumerable utensils scattered about her with her spoon. Doing so, she splattered some of the red soup on her face. It was yet another example of her lacking culinary abilities.

The cyborg ran a hand through his blonde locks, pondering how exactly he would handle this delicate situation. "Yeah, about that….look, you already work so hard. Why don't we…go out to eat tonight?"

Rose frowned slightly at her husband. "Why? I thought you were restricted on what foods you can eat with your body…"

He offered a smile that probably looked as guilty as he felt. "Well…John and I were just thinking that you could…use a break."

He almost cringed. Every word that escaped his half-human, half-organic lips was bringing him closer and closer to the doghouse. To make matters worse, Raiden had used John in his argument without thinking. As sweet-natured as their son was…he was only six years old. The chances of him being aware of the hard-working nature of mothers were more than a little slim.

Wiping the tomato soup from her face, Rose studied him. Her eyes bore into his for a heart-stopping eternity. She set the towel she'd been using down on the counter, unaware that she had missed a spot of the soup on her cheek. Then, she sighed.

"Jack…it's no secret that I have a history of being… 'palatably challenged' when it comes to food."

Raiden's mechanical heart did a somersault. Uh-oh…she had figured him out. Still, he had to at least try to do damage control. He opened his mouth the protest…but Rose shook her head.

"C'mon, Jack, I'm not stupid," she smirked at him. "Remember the time on the Big Shell when I said I would make you my specialty and you gave me that long story about wanting to go to that restaurant with the lobster? I bought that lie about as much as you bought Snake being the terrorist leader."

Raiden froze. He opened and closed his mouth a few times. His wife studied him with an arched eyebrow, looking as if she were trying not to laugh. He must have looked as dumbfounded as he felt. Sighing, he hung his head.

"I'm sorry, Rose…I'm not trying to hurt your feelings…I…"

She cut him off, pressing her finger to his lips. Raiden gazed into her pretty eyes which sparkled fervently. "Then let me do this," she said. "Jack…this is the first Valentine's Day we've had since we finally got our family back together. It marks a new beginning for all of us." She glanced at her pot still simmering on the stove. "I'm hoping that it will mark a new beginning for me as well."

The brunette turned back to look at her husband. Her eyes were full of pleading. Raiden stared back at her. He had faced vampire mercenaries, hordes of enhanced soldiers, raging Gekko, and the screeching, relentless hull of Outer Haven…but he was utterly defenseless in the path of his wife's sad, affectionate eyes.

Rose bit her lip, awaiting his answer. Raiden lifted his hand and gently thumbed away the splotch of soup on her face. His hand cupped her cheek, feeling the warmth of it through his touch sensors. A small smile ghosted across his face.

"I guess I can stand to go without lobster on such a special occasion," he winked.

She beamed up at him.

An hour or so later, the family was seated at their small but comfortable dining room table. Rose and John sat on opposite sides. Raiden took residence at the head. Some loaves of bred rested in the center of the table, accompanied by butter. The items on which Raiden and his son were fixated, however…were the bowls of crimson soup steaming in front of them. Liquids were one of the few foods his mechanical body could still absorb. Even so…he was nervous.

The cyborg glanced at his son. Fair hair exactly like his father's rested atop the child's head. Unlike Jack's, however, his did nothing to conceal his large brown eyes. Raiden could see them fully, staring down at his food with obvious trepidation.

After a few moments, John seemed to realize he was being watched. He looked up, meeting his father's gaze. Both Raiden and John had been in concurrence that Rose was not the best chef. Right now, the boy was probably expecting his father to get them out of eating her cooking tonight.

On the contrary…Raiden dipped his spoon into the soup. It wasn't burnt at least and a pleasant smell wafted from its ruby surface. Raiden took a deep breath…and shoved the spoon into his mouth.

He tensed, waiting for a horrifying flavor to invade his taste buds. Then…his crystal blue eyes went wide with shock. The food was not repulsive…quite the opposite in fact. It had a perfect balance of sweetness and seasoning. The texture was smooth, sliding easily into his throat with no out-of-place lumps of burnt substances to make things unpleasant.

Seeing his father's reaction, John tilted his head, intrigued. He too took a large spoonful of the soup. Upon tasting it, his young face lit up with a wide grin.

"This is really good!"

Raiden nodded, smiling. "I have to agree. This could very well be your new 'specialty', Rose."

The brunette's face was a mask of joy and triumph. She looked back and forth between her husband and child, a cherry flush darkening her pretty features. "Finally, I've succeeded!" she laughed, growing visibly excited.

"Definitely," the cyborg took another mouthful. "This is as good as anything I could get in a restaurant."

The sincerity of his statement was clear in his tone. Rose lit up all over again. She clasped her hands together, eyes sparkling. "Oh, I'm so glad! I've taken a step forward! Maybe tomorrow, I'll try cooking a Japanese dish…"

Raiden almost swallowed his spoon. He coughed, yanking it from his mouth. John dropped his into his soup, giving his mother a horrified look. The same thought must have been searing through both of their brains, the cyborg realized. Rose…and sushi. It was a dangerous combination that would most likely end up giving one or all of them food poisoning.

Rose must have seen the looks of terror on her family's face because her blush deepened. She brushed a strand of chocolate hair from her eyes, smiling sheepishly. "Or…maybe I'll just take things a step at a time."

Both males let out sighs of relief. At first, Rose looked as if she wanted to feel hurt…but she could only laugh instead. She took a sip of the crimson liquid and looked satisfied at its flavor. Raiden had already consumed half of his. John had completely abandoned his spoon and was proceeding to drink the liquid straight from the bowl. His mother chuckled.

"John, while I'm thrilled that you like your dinner, I don't want you to forget your table manners."

The boy froze, large chestnut eyes peeking out from the rim of his bowl. Rose gave him a coy smile. John grinned guiltily back at her and lowered his bowl. His face was covered in ruby-colored liquid.

Before Rose could comment on that, Raiden interjected, "If that's the case, then may John please be excused for a moment?"

The woman frowned. John shot his father a bewildered look. Raiden met his gaze briefly…and gave an imperceptible wink. Recalling the secret gesture they'd established earlier that day, John's expression brightened with realization.

"Well?" he asked, looking at his mother. "May I?"

Rose looked utterly bewildered. She glanced back and forth between her family, opening and closing her mouth as she searched for a response. "Well…y-yes, I suppose so."

Not even bothering to clean his face, the young blonde dashed away from the table. Raiden watched him, smirking lightly. _"Not bad, buddy,"_ he thought. _"You'll make a good secret agent one day." _

He could feel Rose's inquisitive gaze on him. Turning his silvery eyes to her sienna ones, he gave his best innocent expression. His wife's brows furrowed suspiciously.

"What was…?"

Before she could get the question out, the child raced back into the room. In his arms, he clutched a mauve heart-shaped box of chocolates and a bouquet of red roses that was almost as big as he was. He presented both treasures to his mother with a proud smile.

"Happy Valentine's Day!"

He held the treats out to her. Rose's jaw dropped. She looked completely dumbfounded. Raiden threw his head back, laughing.

"Surprise!" he grinned at her.

The woman blinked for several more seconds before her lips finally found their way into a smile. "Aww, boys!" she accepted the gifts, beaming. "Did you plan this somehow?"

It was a "yes and no" situation, Raiden realized. While he hadn't known about her cooking, he had told John earlier that he would wink when it was the perfect opportunity to present Rose with her Valentine's Day gifts. Things had worked out nicely.

"Dad got the roses," John announced, puffing out his little chest proudly. "And the candy is from me!"

"Oh, really…." Rose gave her husband a sideways glance.

He smirked. "Indeed. All chocolates are present and accounted for."

Her eyes twinkled knowingly, clearly impressed. She knew that it had been quite a trick to get the chocolates to her without their son eating a third of them first. Turning back to John, Rose said, "Thank you, sweetheart. This is the best Valentine's present I could have asked for."

John grinned…but his face was painted with a bashful blush that matched the tomato soup. Laughing, Rose wiped the liquid from his face with her napkin. She then gingerly set down the bouquet and made her way over to the fair-haired soldier.

The brunette wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Jack…" she whispered into his ear. "…I hoped this day would be special. You and John just made it even more so."

Raiden smiled, sliding his arm around her shoulders. "I'm glad you liked the roses…" he said…though he knew that was not quite what she meant.

Rose had wanted this day to turn out as it would for a functioning family. For years, they had been anything but that. Raiden hadn't even known that he had a family in the first place. But…now things were finally getting back to normal. Today…they had taken a simple yet impacting step forward with their life together.

Pulling back to look at her husband, the woman worriedly remarked, "I feel bad…I only got you a card. I didn't think your…system…could handle chocolates."

She bit her lip, looking sad. Raiden couldn't help smirking. This did not bother him in the least. He had never been one to place extreme significance upon certain dates as she had. He only did so now to make her happy.

"This is way better than any heart-shaped truffles," the cyborg replied, waving his hand toward the soup.

Rose's smile returned at that. She squeezed his hand and they both gazed upon their child. Having devoured his dinner, John was now eyeing his mother's box of chocolates. The mental battle between leaving them all for their rightful owner and sneaking off with a few was clearly illustrated on his face.

As he sat there, feeling the tenderness of his wife's skin through his touch receptors and fondly watching his little boy…Raiden felt a warmth growing within his chest. It wasn't any mechanical malfunction or a side-effect from consuming hot soup. No…this was something far more powerful than any physical explanation.

The feeling was contentment…something that had been foreign to him for far too long. He was pleased to be alive. He was happy to be here with his family. This feeling, he somehow knew, would only get better.

Raiden turned to look at Rose's pretty face. Their eyes locked in a soul-deep gaze…and a rare smile flickered across his lips. "Maybe next year…" he said, squeezing her hand gently in both of his. "I'll have earned enough money from Maverick to buy you something with diamonds."

Rose studied him for a moment. Apparently guessing his thoughts, she smiled warmly. "Maybe so, Jack. We'll take it one step at a time."

**X**

**Only five more days 'till Revengeance *jumps up and down with joy* XDDDD! I hope you liked and please review :3! Please no flames.**

**I DO NOT OWN METAL GEAR**


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